Title: Nova

Author: Angel

Feedback: Please! I love every but of it!

Classification: MSR, Colonization fic.

Spoilers: All the way up to 7^th season finale but NOT including.

Rating: NC-17 (for some parts-very mild consensual sex- but to be safe!) Others are probably PG-13 or so for naughty words and implied naughty stuff =).

Summery: The inevitable happens. Mulder has planned ahead and now does everything in his power to keep Scully safe.

You MUST read all parts to understand! Available at Ephemeral and my home page.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Characters are property of Fox, 1013, ect. No money is being made. No infringement is intended. A few poems and songs are used without permission, names of authors are given. Prayers which I did not write, and I don’t know who wrote are included in some areas.

Homepage: (to find missing parts and sooner or later the completed version, also posted at Ephemeral)

A HUGE thanks to Evie my beta reader! Nova would never be doing this well, or going as fast, without her help! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Umm… one more! Thank you!

Note: Want Nova updates in the mail? Just let me know!

"Baby don’t look up, the sky is falling." Tori Amos

(26/?)

Day 156

Scully struggled to consciousness. Her head pounded, her ears rang painfully, her whole body was sore, and her arms were tingling from being tied for so long. "Mulder?" She whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He walked from his post by the door and sat by the bed. Benjamin had given up his pounding hours ago. Skinner and Amanda had left a few hours after that. And since then Mulder sat by the door, which was barricaded by a chair.

"Can I have some water?"

Mulder nodded and brought a glass to her lips with one hand while the other tilted her head slightly. "Not too much. I don’t know how much water we have stored."

She nodded to tell him she was done. "The water hasn’t cleared?"

Mulder shrugged. "I don’t know. Skinner said he would tell me as soon as he knew. I think everyone is resting now." With a furrowed brow he looked her up and down. "Are you cold?"

"A little."

He carefully spread a blanket over her. "Scully, do you think I can untie you now?"

She thought about it for a moment. She felt like herself, just tired. "Ok." She nodded slowly.

Mulder let out a long breath of relief and carefully untied her bruised and swollen wrists. Scully cradled them, numb, in her lap as Mulder took turns cleaning and bandaging them. "I’m so sorry." He whispered brokenly.

"Don’t be. I… I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if you hadn’t done this." She tugged his arm to pull him down next to her. Using all the energy she could muster she rolled onto her side and tucked herself against his body. "If you hadn’t I might have hurt you trying to leave… or hurt the baby." Scully forcefully swallowed the lump in her throat. "You had to do it. I’m thankful you did."

Mulder said nothing. Just ran his hands lightly up and down her back.

"I’m so tired." Scully whispered after long moments of silence.

Pressing his lips to her temple Mulder whispered to her; "Go to sleep. You need to rest."

"So do you." She said as she drifted.

"I’m fine." His breath tickled her hair.

Despite how tired she was Scully smiled. "That’s my line."

Mulder gave her a sleepy smile against her skin. "I love you, Scully."

"Mmm." She mumbled close to sleep. "Love you too."

Day 161

Mulder woke with a start to a knock at the door. He carefully shifted Scully, still asleep, out of his arms. Tucking his gun to his side he leaned against the door. "Who is it?"

"Skinner."

Mulder placed his gun back on the dresser top and moved the chair away from the door then stepped out into the hallway rubbing his face.

"I woke you, sorry." Skinner said.

"No, no. Don’t worry about it. What’s up?"

Skinner nodded his head in the direction of the Main Room. "Air just cleared enough for a fire, not a very strong fire, but it’s a start. The water… I don’t even want to mention the water. Looks like we are stuck down here another day."

Mulder sighed and leaned back against the wall after a quick glance at Scully. "I dread getting out there and seeing if anything is left."

Skinner nodded. "Hopefully some livestock made it. Animals are smarter then they look, maybe they found someplace to go. But the fields are going to be ruined. I don’t know how much we will be able to fix before the ground freezes."

Nodding, Mulder glanced again at Scully, not wanting to let her out of his sight for long. "It’s going to be hell."

"How is she?" Mulder’s continuous glances didn’t go unnoticed by Skinner.

"She’s... resting. I think that is the most I can hope for-" Mulder broke off sharply as he watched Scully roll over in bed. She immediately settled again so he turned some of his attention back to Skinner. "Anything with Benjamin?"

Skinner shook his head. "Nothing I know of. He is pretty busy with people’s questions. I haven’t seen Amanda yet this morning."

Mulder wasn’t able to suppress a yawn. He smiled a little ashamedly. "Sorry."

Skinner smirked and gestured to Mulder’s room. "Get some more sleep. I’ll check in with you guys as soon as anything happens. And I brought some water." He handed over a reserve jug.

"Thanks. I’ll talk to you later." Mulder nodded appreciatively before stepping back into the cold room. He struggled to build a small fire before slipping back into bed.

Scully murmured wordlessly at his familiar presents and cuddled close to his warmth.

Mulder wrapped an arm around her small body and burrowed his face in her hair. "It’s going to be ok." He whispered to her sleeping body. "Please, God, let everything be ok."

Day 161

Scully nudged Mulder with her elbow to rouse him. He gave a sleepy grunt as question. "Someone is at the door." She whispered out, her head still ached and it took more energy then she had to move her arms.

"I’ll get it, you stay right there." Mulder answered immediately hoisting himself up.

"I wasn’t planning on moving." Scully mumbled while trying to find a comfortable position for her aching body. It was impossible.

Mulder moved the chair securing the door and opened it a crack expecting to see the Gunmen or Skinner. He frowned when coming face to face with Benjamin. "What can I do for you?" He glanced over his shoulder, partly to check on Scully and partly to make sure his gun was still on the dresser.

"I want to speak with Dana." Benjamin said with a strident voice.

Scully gently pushed her way under Mulder’s arm that was braced against the wall between the open door. "Yes, Benjamin?" She tried to keep the irritation from her voice, but she was tired of this. She and Mulder were finally together and the only one causing a problem was Benjamin.

"Scully." Mulder said gently. "You need to rest." He slipped his arm down from the wall to around her waist.

She glanced up to him with a small smile. "I will. I just want to see what Benjamin needs so I can do just that." She turned back to Benjamin expectantly.

"Can you step out? I’d like to talk to you alone."

Scully shook her head and leaned more against Mulder for support "I’m very tired. What is it that you want?"

Benjamin narrowed his eyes at her stubbornness. She wasn’t making this any easier for him and he felt his anger build more and more each time he tried to help her, and she refused his help. She just didn’t seem to realize that she would be better off without Mulder. He needed to show her, somehow, that her place was with him. "I think you should come with me." He held out a hand expectantly.

"What?!" Mulder asked in disbelief. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Scully placed a hand over his chest when he went to take a step forward. The gentle pressure reminded him that they had to be careful.

"You aren’t good for Dana, Mulder. I’m afraid for her safety when she is with you."

"Benjamin." Scully said quickly, in a tone that left no room for argument. "I appreciate your concern, but you have everything backwards." She leaned heavily back against Mulder, trying to convey that this was where she wanted to be. "Please, I want to go back to sleep."

"I want to know what happened the other night, Dana. People say-"

"I don’t care what people are saying." Scully interrupted quickly. "I hit my head and I was unconscious. I am still recovering. Good bye." She pressed back against Mulder, he took the hint and shut the door, securing it quickly as Scully crawled back in bed.

Mulder sat at her hip on the edge of the bed, smoothing the blankets up around her.

With a sudden gasp she sat upright.

"What? Scully, what?" Mulder panicked, ready for her to start fighting to leave Nova again.

A slow smile spread across her face, then a soft laugh. "The baby." She placed her hand over her steadily rising belly. "I felt it." She laughed again, in amazement.

"You did?" Mulder tentatively placed his hand over tummy.

Nodding she moved his hand to where she felt the slight sensation. "I doubt you can feel it. It was just a small… flutter almost." Scully said sadly, she wanted Mulder to share this.

Mulder just smiled, rubbing her soft skin lightly.

Scully giggled. "There it is again."

Mulder leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. He couldn’t feel the movement, but he knew it was there. The look of complete wonder of Scully’s face was enough evidence for him.

Notes: How much longer till November? Well I need to get through these next few months. Since people don’t seem to want Nova to turn into a comedy =) maybe I will bring Fowley back form the ‘dead’? Wouldn’t that be fun? Yeah, this is just my desperate attempt to get more feedback. I know, I’m pathetic.